In search of an honest broker

The endgame in Korea is now beginning. Fears of another war are receding in the hopeful aftermath of the June 2000 summit between South Korean president Kim Dae Jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. After five decades of a zero-sum rivalry in which the North and the South each sought to conquer or absorb the other, both sides are now committed to the goal of a loose federation that would lead to eventual reunification. Economic links are growing. But in Pyongyang, Seoul, and Washington, vested interests - military and industrial - are resisting change. A long tug of war over the terms for coexistence lies ahead.

by Selig S Harrison

After the summit between the two Korean leaders last June, the start of a dialogue, and exchanges of visits, it is clear that the most intractable issue blocking a stable rapprochement is how to wind down the North-South military confrontation. This issue directly involves the United States (...)